Added even more video and pics to the Axis Rotation article.
Added even more video and pics to the Axis Rotation article.
The Axis Rotation post has been updated with some video!
Chris Barnes answered some questions during a recent Q&A session on USAToday.com. The transcripts can be found here. I managed to get a few questions in about adjustments – here are the relevant excerpts:
Pittsburgh, PA: You are certainly one of the most versatile bowls on tour, with many adjustments at your disposal, as we saw in your recent title match against Ken Simard. Once a player has mastered their “A” game, what would you say is the first adjustment a bowler should learn to make, other than moving their feet, that will help them the most across different situations. Speed? Axis Rotation? Something else? Thanks.
Chris Barnes: You have hit on the main two that will increase your ability to hit most of the shots you see. The only thing to add to that would be adjusting your hand pressures.
Pittsburgh, PA: Sorry for all the technical questions – you’ve mentioned hand pressure twice. Can you clarify? Do you mean the finger pressure – how much you try to get on the ball? I have been working on decreasing this myself – trying to let the ball do the work, and eliminate the over/under I see sometimes. Are there situations where you find yourself trying to put a little extra on it?
Chris Barnes: Yes, that’s why you vary it. More to make the ball hook sooner and less to push it down the lane.
So when are these adjustments useful, and how do we make them? The next 3 posts will address these adjustments individually – tips for how to make the adjustment, and the resulting change on your shot.
Update: The first two tips are up, in rough form:
